Carbon pack holder for manifold typewriters



Oct. 23, 1951 l.. A. PETIT 2,572,278

CARBON PACK HOLDER FOR MANIFOLD TYPEWRITERS Filed March 29,r 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l 25 /3 25 @V5/HIEP Oct. 23, 1951 .`A. PETIT 2,572,278

CARBON PACK HOLDER FOR MANIFOLD TYPEWRITERS Filed MaICh 29, 1947 l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I 21g zo, A. Pm,

Patented c't. 23, A195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARBON PACK HOLDER FOR MANIFGLD Y TYPEWRITERS Laurence A. Petit, Chicago, Ill. Application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,148

l them, to the printing position in the machines,

the sheets of paper usually beingv perforated for tearing off at intervals, each section of each sheet between the perforations usually containing a printed form into which the operator inserts data by means of the typewriter keys. The sheets of carbon paper are customarily fed between the sheets of paper from packs of carbon paper, each pack being disposed between two adjoining sheets of paper. While a section of carbon paper of the same size as the printed forms of the paper is preferably used repeatedly for the sake of economy, yet from time to time fresh sections of carbon paper have to be pulled from the individual packs in order to advance the printing position to fresh portions of carbon paper. A manifold typewriting machine of the class referred to is depicted in my prior Patent 2,236,155 issued March 25, 1941.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved carbon pack and holder for carbon packs so constructed that they may be positioned and used between adjoiningr sheets of paper with the maximum of convenience.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved carbon pack and holder so constructed as to afford a convenient means for locking the I pack temporarily against the further withdrawal of carbon paper from the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pack and holder having the foregoing advantages and having a locking means thereon which is quickly releasable to permit further lengths of carbon paper to be pulled from the pack holder without separating the paper webs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carbon pack holder of the class described readily mountable between adjoining webs of paper and which may be reused repeatedly for supporting packs of carbon paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carbon pack holder so constructed that it need be supported only from one side of the machine, and for use therewith a lateral support outside of the confines of the travelling sheets of paper from which a p1ura1ity of pack holders may eX- tend between adjoining sheets from such single support.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionv become apparent from a perusal of the following specification, in which, to illustrate the nature of the invention, a preferred embodiment thereof is shown and described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view showing a holder made in accordance with this invention and a carbon pack mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line II-II of Figure l, showing the clamping handle in clamping position; Y

Figure 3 is a sectional view at the same position in Figure l but showing the clamping handle in released position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V-V of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the pack holder and pack shown in Figure 1;

kFigure 7 is a side elevational view showing a support device by means of which the pack holder is supported from one end;

Figure 8 is an elevation of the structure shown in Figure '7 and Figure 9 is an expanded View of the carbon pack alone.

As shown on the drawings:

In the preferred form of the invention, the pack holder comprises a frame which is preferably formed of light sheet metal, although other material may be used. This frame includes members I, II, I2 and I3 which are rigidly secured together. A rigid mounting bar I4, for mounting the pack holder on the manifold machine, is slidably disposed near one end through a strap I5 which is punched out of the member I2, and near its other end between a plate IB and the member II, the plate it being secured to the underside of the member I I by means of a pair of screws Il and I8. While the strap I5 snugly embraces the supporting bar I4, the plate I5 permits that end of the supporting bar I4 to be moved laterally a small amount, as indicated by the d-otted and full line positions of the bar, illustrated in Figure 6. It will later be more readily appreciated that this lateral movement of the bar I 4 relative to the rigid members of the frame enables the operator to adjust the pack holder and pack relatively to the longitudinal path of travel of the continuous sheets of paper which are moving through the machine, thus lining up the pack with the paper. After adjustment the screws Il and I8 may be tightened to preserve the adjustment.

At one end of the pack holder on the frame member lll is a pack retaining post I9 which is employed to register with a hole of the same diameter provided in the paper backing of the carbon pack.

The carbon pack preferably used with this pack holder comprises a base or backing member 2B, preferably formed of relatively stiff paper, on which is laid a Zig-zag folded long strip of carbon paper. The carbon paper folds lie ilatly on the backing paper 2U and will be embraced and held in place by a sheath 2l of paper whose ends may conveniently be secured by adhesive to the under side of the backing member. When the pack is assembled with the sheath 2l compacting the folds upon the base 2d the margin 2B of the base and the margin 2| of the sheath constitute a restricted aperture through which successive folds, or portions thereof, of the carbon paper may be pulled out of the pack from time to time as fresh, unused carbon paper is needed at the platen roll or printing position of the machine.

As seen in Figures 2 and 3 the frame member I3 has an upwardly projecting flange or lip 22 over which the carbon paper must be drawn when it is being extracted from the pack. A clamping bar 23, having a free end 24, is resiliently supported and secured to the frame member l by means of a pair of posts 25 and 26, the coil springs 21 and 28 serving to hold the adjoining end of the clamping bar resiliently spaced apart from the frame member i3. This manner of connecting the clamping bar permits the free end 2li of the bar 23 to be lifted by the operator for the insertion of one end of the carbon pack thereunder. To facilitate this, the bar 23 should be of a resilient character, for example thin sheet metal. As shown on the drawings, the carbon pack is first mounted with its registering hole in one end slipped down over the post I9, while the end of the pack from which the carbon paper must be fed is inserted under the bar 23, a protruding end of the first fold of the carbon paper A having been first pulled out so that it will emerge from under the bar 23 and pass over the edge 'of the ang'e 22.

To lock the pack so that carbon paper may not be inadvertently pulled out of the pack, a clamping handle 29 is pivotally mounted on the post 25 and is provided with a downwardly vextending curved edged flange 30 at its inner end, whereby rotation of the handle 29 from the dotted line position in Figure 1 to the full line position in Figure 1 will cause the flange 3U to ride onto 'the top of the bar 23 and compress the springs 21 and 28. The point at which pressure is applied by the flange 3Q is somewhat beyond the posts 25 and 2E, hence the entire bar including its free end is pressed downwardly with suncient pressure to hold the carbon sheet from inadvertent withdrawal from the pack, in the ordinary operation of the machine.

To release the pack for further feeding f carbon paper therefrom, the operator needs only to rotate the handle 29 to the dotted position shown in Figure 1. The post 26 has a head at its upper end which is recessed into the bar 23, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the handle 29 may be swung over the top of the post 26. The lower ends of both posts may be secured to the frame member I3 by welding or in any other suitable manner.

In my prior Patent 2,236,115, heretofore mentioned, a shiftable carriage is shown mounted on the frame of the manifolding machine, this carriage including stepped brackets 38 so that carbon packs and their holders may be mounted at different levels for interleaving between the several sheets of paper being drawn through the manifoiding machine. The carriage is usually pushed toward the rear, that is away from the platen, by the operator after one set of forms has been completely lled, in order that the sheets of carbon paper at the time in use may be withdrawn from between the typed forms before they are torn off and removed from the machine, or otherwise disposed of. Such recip` rocating carriages, operated in this manner, are common in these machines.

However, for use with the present holder, I have provided a support for the several pack holders which may be substituted for the stepped bracket shown in the aforesaid prior patent. On the shiftable carriage at opposite sides thereof I may mount a vertically extending yoke 3l which may be secured by the screws 32 and 33 to the shiftable carriage. This bracket or yoke 3l is slotted out at 32, merely for lightness, and has such a cross sectional area that the elongated slot 33 provided in the supporting bar Hl may be slipped downwardly over the yoke 3l and will snugly fit the outer surfaces thereof. In order that a plurality of carbon pack holders for holding packs between sheets of paper at different levels may be themselves spaced appropriately at such proper levels, I prefer to provide a comb generally indicated as 34, which may be conveniently made of light metal, preferably of spring material, which itself will embrace the yoke 3l as shown in Figures 7 and 8. It is apparent that the end of a supporting bar M may readily extend through the slots between the teeth 35 of the comb and if the slots be dimensicned to snugly receive the bar It! the pack holder will 'thus be held at a selected elevation and with sufcient rigidity at its place on the carriage. By utilizing the slots between the teeth at the different levels, a plurality vof pack holders may thus be mounted, one above another. If there are a large number of packs to be mounted on a machine, the pack holders may be designed for mounting at the left and right sides of the machine, Vand similar yokes and combs may be provided at opposite ends of the shiftable carriage for supporting such pack holders.

It should be clear from the specification and drawings that with this form of support employed, pack Vholders may be readily detached from the shiftable carriage, whenever it is desired to place new carbon packs upon the holders.

It will now be apparent that a plurality of metal pack holders provided in accordance with this invention are capable of being supported between the sheets of paper in properly spaced relation by means of supporting structure carried at only one end of the carriage. These pack holders, of course, may be used again and again with successive packs and present no difficult problem to the operator either in the attachment of new packs or in the feeding of carbon paper from the packs and pack holders as fresh lengths are required. With this type of pack holder an extremely simple pack may be employed, all of which advantages contribute to ,economy of manufacture, installation, operation and use of carbon sheet material.

To those familiar with the operation of manifold typewriters, billing machines and other machines of this character, it will appear especially advantageous that fresh lengths of carbon paper may be extracted from packs and pack `holders made in accordance with this invention without separating the paper sheets to facilitate that operation. It is merely necessary to move the clamping member 29 to unlocked position during the withdrawal of the fresh lengths of carbon paper, and this can be done without reaching in between the sheets or disturbing their arrangement or alignment.

Furthermore, when the clamp bar 23 has been released to permit withdrawal of additional carbon paper from the pack, the edge of the ange 22 assists in blocking the inadvertent escape from the pack holder of folds of the carbon paper underlying the top fold which is being withdrawn.

While the present specification and drawings disclose and describe in considerable detail a pre-` ferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of construction herein shown, but is susceptible of considerable modication and variation without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carbon pack holder adapted for mounting in a manifold machine comprising a rigid frame, a supporting arm adjustably connected to said frame for attachment to a portion of the manifold machine for supporting said frame between adjacent work sheets, means on the frame for cooperation with a carbon pack for retaining the same on said frame, a yieldably mounted bar on said frame for yieldably pressing one edge portion of the carbon pack against said frame, and manually operable means for applying pressure to said bar for retainingthe pack upon the frame.

2. A carbon pack of the class described for mounting in a manifold machine comprising an entirely flat base, a long sheet of carbon'paper arranged on said base in a multiplicity of Zig-zag folds, and a sheath secured to the under side of the base embracing said folds transversely to compact them snugly on the top of the base, a margin of the sheath adjoining one end portion of the base forming with the base a restricted aperture extending transversely the full width of the folds for cooperating with the sheath and base in restraining the withdrawal of carbon paper therefrom to one fold at a time, the opposite end portion of the base being apertured to engage with a post carried by the machine.

3. A carbon pack holder adapted for mounting in a manifold machine comprising a rigid frame, a supporting arm adjustably connected with said frame for attachment to a portion of the manifold machine for supporting said frame between adjacent work sheets, means on the frame connectible with a carbon pack for retaining the same on said frame, transversely extending means for yieldably pressing one edge portion of the carbon pack against said frame, and manually operable means for applying pressure to said transversely extending means.

' 4. In combination, for use in a manifold machine, a carbon pack comprising a base and a long sheet of Carbon paper arranged in a multiplicity of zig-zag folds on said base, means embracing the folds for retaining them on the base, the carbon sheet folds being arranged for gradual withdrawal from said embracing means successively from the top fold downwardly, and a holder for said pack comprising a rigid frame, means for attaching the frame to a manifold machine to support the frame between paper webs n said 6 machine, means for releasably clamping the pack to the frame adjoining one end thereof, and means on said frame cooperable with the end of the pack for limiting the withdrawal of carbon sheet therefrom to one fold at a time.

5. A carbon pack for use with manifold machines comprising a base, consisting of an entirely nat sheet having a rear end portion provided with an aperture for engagement with a post on the machine, an elongated sheet of carbon paper arranged in a multiplicity of zig-Zag folds upon said base forwardly of said rear end portion, and a sheath secured to opposite lateral marginal portions of said base snugly embracing said folds and enclosing their lateral edges, the sheath and base providing a narrow aperture at the forward end of the base for restricting the withdrawal of successive folds from the pack.

6. In combination a carbon pack for use with manifold machines comprising a sheet material base, an elongated sheet of carbon paper arranged in a multiplicity of zig-zag folds upon said base, a sheath secured to said base and em bracing said folds to retain them lightly compacted upon said base, one edge of said sheath forming with the base a restricted aperture ex-A tending parallel to the folded edges of said carbon sheet, said aperture affording an opening for the withdrawal of successive folds from said sheath, and a carbon pack holder comprising a frame and means thereon for the attachment of the same to a manifold machine laterally of the pathway of the manifold forms movable therethrough, and means cn said frame for retaining said pack thereon including manually controllable clamping means for regulating the with drawal of the topmost fold from said pack sheath while restraining the exit of underlying folds from said sheath.

'7. In combination, for use in a manifold machine, a carbon pack comprising a flat base, a long sheet of carbon paper arranged on said base in a multiplicity of zig-zag folds, a-sheath secured to the base embracing said folds to compact them snugly on said base, a margin of the sheath adjoining one end portion of the base forming with the base a restricted aperture extending transversely the full width of the folds for restraining the withdrawal of carbon paper therefrom to one fold at a time, and a holder for' said pack comprising a rigid frame, means for attachment to a manifold machine to support the frame between paper webs in said machine, means for releasably clamping the pack to the ,f frame adjoining one end thereof, and means on said frame cooperable with the end of the pack adjoining said aperture for limiting the withdrawal of carbon sheets therefrom to one fold at a time. V

8. A carbon pack holder for use with a manifold machine comprising a rigid frame, a supporting arm connected with said frame for attachment to a side portion of a manifold machine for supporting the frame between adjacent work sheets, means on the frame for retaining a carbon pack on the frame, releasable clamping means on said frame for clamping the delivery end of a carbon pack to said frame, and means on the frame for cooperation with an end portion of a carbon pack whose carbon sheets are arranged in zig-zag folds for restraining delivery of carbon sheets from the pack to one fold at a time.

9. A carbon pack holder for use with a manifold machine comprising a rigid frame, means including a supporting arm adiustably connected with said frame for attachment to a side portion of a manifold machine for supporting the frame between adjacent work sheets and adjustable to variably align the frame longitudinally with the work sheets, means on the frame for retaining a carbon pack on the frame, releasable clamping means on said frame for clamping the delivery end of a carbon pack to said frame, and means on the frame for cooperation with an end por! tion of a carbon pack whose carbon sheets are arranged in zig-zag folds for restraining delivery of carbon sheets from the pack to one fold at a time.

10. A carbon pack holder for use with a manifold machine comprising a rigid frame, means including a supporting arm adiustably connected with said frame for attachment to a side portion of a manifold machine for supporting the frame between adjacent work sheets and adjustable to variably align the frame laterally of the work sheets, means on the frame for retaining a carbon pack on the frame, releasable clamping means on said frame for clamping the delivery end of a carbon pack to said frame, and means on the frame for cooperation with an end portion of a carbon pack whose carbon sheets are arranged in zig-zag folds for restraining delivery of carbon sheets from the pack to one fold at a time.

1l. In combination, a carbon pack for ,use with manifold machines comprising a sheet material base. an elongated sheet of carbon paper arranged in a multiplicity of .Zig-zag folds: upon said base, a sheath secured to said base and embracing said folds. to retain them lightly compacted upon said base, one edge of said sheath forming with the base a restricted aperture `ertemiing parallel to the folded edges f said carbon sheet, .said aperture affording an opening for the Withdrawal of successive folds from said sheath, and a carbon pack holder comprising a frame and means thereon for the attachment of the saine to a manifold machine laterally of the pathway of the manifold forms movable therethrough, manually controllable means on said frame for clamping the pack to the frame to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of carbon sheet therefrom and regulatably releasable to permit intentional withdrawal, and means operative during intentional withdrawing of a topmost fold of carbon sheet from the pack to prevent inadvertent exit of folds underlying the said topmost fold retained in said sheath.

12. In combination, for use with a manifold machine, a carbon pack holder comprising a frame, means on the frame for retaining a carbon pack thereon, a at arm rigidly extending laterally from the frame whereby the frame may extend between the paper webs in the machine and the arm be supported laterally of the webs, said arm having an elongated slot near one of its ends, an upstanding post on the machine shaped te fit said slot and extend therethrough, and a U-shaped comb member having two vertical legs shaped to resiliently embrace said post, each leg having a plurality of spaced horizontal slots at corresponding levels for extending both ways past the lateral edges of said post for receiving and retaining said arm at any of said levels when the slot of the arm is impaled on said post.

13. A carbon pack holder for use with a manifold machine comprising a frame, means at the rear end of the frame for retaining thereon a folded continuous sheet of carbon paper, an arm connected with said frame substantially midway between its rear and forward ends extending laterally from one side of the frame whereby the frame may extend between paper webs in the manifold machine and the arm be supported laterally of the webs, and releasable clamping means supported on the forward end portion of the frame laterally of that area of the frame which supports the carbon pack for clamping the forward end portion of the pack to the frame to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of carbon paper therefrom and upwardly releasable for allowing withdrawal thereunder from the forward end of the holder of carbon paper carried in the pack.

LAURENCE A. PETIT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,534,550 Smith Apr, 21, 1925 2,292,343 McAlvin Aug. 4, 1942 2,363,661 Feitl Nov. 28, 1944 2,387,667 Leibfritz Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 116,830 Australia of 1943 

